路加福音 1: 32-33 祂要為大，稱為至高者的兒子；主神要把他祖大衛的位給祂， 33 祂要做雅各家的王，直到永遠；祂的國也沒有窮盡。」
路加福音2:13-14 忽然有一大隊天兵，同那天使讚美神說： 「在至高之處榮耀歸於神！在地上平安歸於祂所喜悅的人！」
曾有一段日子，當時兩個孩子還小，聖誕節對我來說並不是喜氣洋洋的節慶。在街上洋溢的歡呼聲裡，我的心反倒沉了下來。想到耶穌降生的目的，竟是要走向十字架、走向殘酷的死亡，這如何教人歡欣呢？！
我抱著孩子時，想著：若是我的孩子，從嬰孩一路撫育成人，到了三十三歲就被掛在十字架上受死，那會是何等撕裂心肺的痛？想到這裡，聖誕節對我而言並不是慶祝，而像是一種提前看見受苦的預告，我也不明白為教會佈置聖誕裝飾的意義何在？！
by Max Lucado
When Christ was born, so was our hope. This is why I love Christmas. The event invites us to believe the wildest of promises: He did away with every barrier, fence, sin, bent, debt, and grave. Anything that might keep us from him was demolished. He only awaits our word to walk through the door. Invite him in, escort him to the seat of honor, and pull out his chair. Clear the table; clear the calendar. Call the kids and neighbors. Christmas is here. Christ is here.
One request from you, and God will do again what he did then: scatter the night with everlasting light. He’ll be born in you. Let “Silent Night” be sung. Every heart can be a manger. Every day can be a Christmas. The Christmas miracle—a yearlong celebration!
Read more Because of Bethlehem
馬太福音2:7：於是希律暗暗地召見博士們，問他們那星出現的確切時間。 2:8 就差他們往伯利恆去，說：「你們去仔細尋找那孩子，找到以後，就來告訴我，我也好去拜他。」
馬太福音 2:12 他們夢中得到指示，不要回去見希律，就從別的路回自己的地方去了。
馬太福音 2:16-18 希律王見自己受了博士的詭計，就大怒，差人將伯利恆城裡和周圍所有兩歲及兩歲以下的男孩，照著他從博士那裡得知的日期，都殺了。這就應驗了先知耶利米所說的話：「在拉瑪聽見哀號和大聲哭泣的聲音，是拉結為她的兒女哀哭，不肯受安慰，因為他們都不在了。」
這個故事在其他福音書中都沒有記載，它讓人想起出埃及記開頭法老的命令（1:16）。這兩個故事都以政治暴力和死亡開篇，提醒我們統治者在面對可能威脅其領導權和權威的人時，會採取怎樣的手段。
希律王試圖除掉耶穌，這使他成為《馬太福音》中眾多不懷好意的猶太領袖中的第一個，隨著福音書走向高潮，這一點變得非常清楚。
東方三博士的故事中有幾個面向引導讀者展望耶穌最終抵達耶路撒冷時將要面臨的境況。首先，「猶太人的王」這個稱號不僅回顧了耶穌的家譜（第1章），也預示著福音書中僅有的另外兩次出現——耶穌受審和被釘十字架。
by Max Lucado
Maybe your life resembles a Bethlehem stable. Crude in some spots, smelly in others. Not much glamour. You do your best to make the best of it. But try as you might, the roof still leaks, and the winter wind still sneaks through the holes you just can’t seem to fix. You’ve shivered through your share of cold nights and you wonder if God has a place for a person like you.
Find your answers in the Bethlehem stable. The story of Christmas is the story of God’s relentless love for us. The moment Mary touched God’s face is the moment God made his case: there is no place he will not go. No place is too common, no person is too hardened, no distance is too far. There is no person he cannot reach. There is no limit to his love.
Read more Because of Bethlehem
by Max Lucado
Hollywood would recast the Christmas story. Joseph’s collar is way too blue. Mary is green from inexperience. The couple’s star power doesn’t match the bill. Too obscure, too simple. The story warrants some headliners. And what about the shepherds? Do they sing? A good public relations firm would move the birth to a big city. The Son of God deserves a royal entry. Less peasant, more pizazz.
But we didn’t design the hour. God did. And God was content to enter the world in the presence of sleepy sheep and a wide-eyed carpenter. No spotlights, just candlelight. No crowns, just cows chewing cud. If God was willing to wrap himself in rags, then all questions about his love for you are off the table. When Christ was born, so was our hope. That’s why I love Christmas.
Read more Because of Bethlehem
馬太福音2:9-11：他們聽見王的話，就動身去。他們在東方所看見的那顆星，在他們前面行，直行到嬰孩所在的地方，就停住了。他們看見那星停住了，就大大地歡喜。進了房子，看見嬰孩和他母親馬利亞，就俯伏拜祂，打開寶盒，獻上黃金、乳香和沒藥。
當東方三博士離開耶路撒冷時，那顆星就像天上的“GPS”，指引他們直達耶穌在伯利恆的所在：
太 2:9 他們聽見王的話，就動身去。他們在東方所看見的那顆星，在他們前面行，直行到嬰孩所在的地方，就停住了。
找到耶穌後，東方三博士向他獻上禮物：
太 2:10 他們看見那星停住了，就大大地歡喜。 2:11 進了房子，看見嬰孩和他母親馬利亞，就俯伏拜祂，打開寶盒，獻上黃金、乳香和沒藥。
這些禮物的意義有許多解釋。敘利亞人埃弗雷姆（公元4世紀）認為前兩件禮物代表了東方三博士過去偶像崇拜的某些方面，而第三件禮物則代表了他們如今對耶穌的敬拜：
by Max Lucado
The Christmas tree hunt is on! The preferences are different, but the desire is the same—we want the perfect Christmas tree. You search for the right one, you walk the rows, you examine them from all angles. This one is perfect!
God does the same. He has picked you. He knows just the place where you’ll be placed. He has a barren living room in desperate need of warmth and joy. A corner of the world needs some color. He selected you with that place in mind. God made you on purpose with a purpose. He interwove calendar and character, circumstance and personality to create the right person for the right corner of the world, and then he paid the price to take you home.
1 Corinthians 6:20 (NLT) says, “God bought you with a high price.” The Christmas promise is this: we have a Savior, and his name is Jesus.
Read more Because of Bethlehem
馬太福音2:1-2：當希律王的時候，耶穌生在猶太的伯利恆以後，有幾個博士從東方來到耶路撒冷，說：「那生下來作猶太人之王的在哪裡？我們在東方看見祂的星，特來拜祂。」
馬太福音中的故事發生在希律王（西元前72-74年）時期。西元前37年，在馬克安東尼的敦促下，羅馬元老院任命希律王為「猶太人的王」。在此數十年，羅馬將軍龐培於西元前63年攻占耶路撒冷，終結了該地區的哈斯蒙尼王朝（約瑟夫斯，《猶太戰爭史》1.14.4）。
希律王的家族並非猶太人，而是以東人（希臘文中對以東人的稱呼）。約瑟夫斯是我們了解希律王的主要訊息來源，他淡化了希律王的出身，反而強調了他與猶太地區及其風俗傳統的聯繫。艾瑞克‧范登‧艾克爾（費勒姆學院）認為：「約瑟夫斯覺得有必要評論安提帕特和希律王被猶太人接受一事，這或許表明，這種接受並非易事，也並非普遍共識。」
Christmas is a season of interruptions. Some we enjoy, some we don’t. You may be facing an interruption during this season of life. What you wanted and what you received do not match, and now you’re troubled and anxious. Everything inside you and every voice around you says, “Get out. Get angry.” But don’t listen to those voices. You cannot face a crisis if you don’t face God first.
Colossians 1:16-17 (MSG) says, “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.” God holds it all together, and he will hold it together for you.
馬太福音2:3-5：希律王聽見這話，就甚懼怕；耶路撒冷合城的人也都懼怕。於是希律召集了所有的祭司長和民間的文士，問他們基督當生在何處。 2:5 他們回答說：“在猶太的伯利恆，因為先知是這樣寫的。”
馬太福音 2:6 “猶大地的伯利恆啊，你在猶大諸城中並不是最小的，因為將來有一位君王要從你那裡出來，牧養我以色列民。”
馬太福音2:3：希律王聽見這話，就甚懼怕；耶路撒冷合城的人也都懼怕。
在這裡，耶路撒冷被描繪成一個充滿恐懼和敵意的城市，它在整部福音書中都扮演著這樣的角色。 這裡的「耶路撒冷合城的人」可能指的是統治階級──所有那些在維護現狀中擁有既得利益的人。此外，敘述很快便確立了耶路撒冷（羅馬和猶太政權的中心）與伯利恆（大衛的出生地，也是他繼承人的出生地）之間的對立：
太 2:4 於是希律召集了所有的祭司長和民間的文士，問他們基督當生在何處。 2:5 他們回答說：“在猶太的伯利恆，因為先知是這樣寫的。”
如果您希望通過電子郵件，收看我們的最新文章，我們將會為您訂閱『福音快訊』，每週五發送。